5 unfancied players who could have a major impact in the Champions League final
Liverpool and Real Madrid will clash at the Stade de France in the UEFA Champions League final on May 28.
Tensions are rising ahead of the Champions League final
The war of words has already begun between the two sides. It was Mohamed Salah who set it off by declaring his desire to exact revenge on Real Madrid for the 2017-18 Champions League final loss.
Several players and pundits have weighed in since but Karim Benzema responded in kind to Salah and Liverpool in an interview with Movistar (via Liverpool Echo). He said:
"Liverpool have a lot of confidence. They think they have already won the match, maybe. Maybe they think this isn’t the same Real Madrid as last time, these things. Maybe they think they’re favourites."
The in-form Frenchman added:
"Salah can say what he wants, but this is a different game."
Saturday night's game will undoubtedly be a clash between some of the megastars of football. But it takes 11 players to make a team and the Champions League final is the kind of stage where new heroes are born.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five unfancied players who could have a major impact in the Champions League final.
#5 Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson will look to lead his team by example in the Champions League final. He epitomizes doggedness and a winning mentality and Henderson will look to stifle the Real Madrid midfield's creativity on Saturday.
Henderson possesses an excellent reading of the game and will attempt to offer the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos very little room to work with. On Saturday, he will become the first Englishman to lead a team to three UEFA Champions League finals.
Henderson is not one to go hiding when the stakes are high and he will look to turn in a performance befitting the occasion.
#4 Rodrygo Goes (Real Madrid)
Rodrygo Goes is expected to start on the bench for Real Madrid against Liverpool in the Champions League final. The youngster is likely to be used as an impact-sub like in the games against Chelsea and Manchester City.
He did have a huge impact on both of those games. Rodrygo scored Real Madrid's equalizer in the second leg against Chelsea to force the game into extra-time. He scored two brilliant goals in the dying embers of the second leg of Real Madrid's semi-final tie against Manchester City as well.
Rodrygo can be a handful to deal with for tired legs. As such, he could prove to be a difference maker in the final on Saturday.
#3 Andy Robertson (Liverpool)
Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson is one of the most complete full-backs of the modern era. The Scotland international is equally adept at dispensing both his offensive and defensive duties and will cause Real Madrid plenty of problems down the left wing.
Robertson never stops running and Dani Carvajal will be tasked with keeping him in check. However, the Spanish right-back has been nowhere near his best this season and could be left exposed against one of the best in the business on Saturday.
In 46 appearances across all competitions this season, Robertson has scored three goals and provided 15 assists.
🗣 Gary Neville on Andy Robertson:
"I absolutely love Joao Cancelo but I can’t ignore Robertson. The best full-back in the league by a mile - he does both things incredibly well, eight and nine, this is not Mr Steady, eight and nines out of 10 every week." https://t.co/exhRhS7IOg
#2 Fede Valverde (Real Madrid)
Fede Valverde is tipped to start on the right wing for Real Madrid. Valverde can be a tenacious presence on the pitch and he will relentlessly hound the Liverpool players in a bid to force mistakes.
Liverpool are likely to take a cautious approach in defence against the likes of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Jr., who have been firing on all cylinders. As such, Robertson might be allowed the freedom to bomb forward a lot more than Trent Alexander-Arnold.
If Liverpool take that route, they could suffer as Valverde has the quality to punish them. He is surrounded by players who have all had excellent seasons. The Uruguayan international has not been at his best this term but will be determined to make the most out of the opportunity if he starts in the final.
Liverpool will need to be wary of Valverde as he is not only technically gifted but also as unrelenting as they come.
🎙| Fede Valverde: "We want to win this Champions League for our older players, as a gift for them." @diarioas
#1 Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
The last time Liverpool and Real Madrid clashed in the final of the Champions League, goalkeeping mistakes led to the former's undoing. The then Liverpool keeper Loris Karius committed two grave mistakes to allow Real Madrid to race to a 3-1 win in the 2018 Champions League final.
The Merseysiders won't need to worry about such howlers with Alisson Becker in goal. The Brazil international has just won the Premier League Golden Glove along with his compatriot Ederson Moraes of Manchester City.
Alisson has been in fine form all season. The 29-year-old ranks third among Premier League goalkeepers for save percentage (75.3%). Real Madrid haven't been able to carve out plenty of chances in their recent outings.
What they've been able to do is make the most of their chances. But Benzema and his fellow attackers will need to be at his sharpest against Liverpool as Alisson is going to be a behemoth in goal.